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Highland Cattle

Posted
on October 28, 2016

In Scotland, there is a special breed of cow called,
“Highland Cattle.” They have extended
horns, much like the American Longhorn in appearance. Record of these ‘Heilan
Coo’ go all the way back to the 6
th century AD. Naturally, with
Scotland as their native home, they have long hair to survive the harsh
winters; in fact, their oily exterior coat is the longest of any breed of
cattle. Unlike other cattle, Highland Cattle have the ability to use their
lengthy horns to dig through the snow and find plants, allowing them to thrive
in environments most other breeds cannot.

Celtic ancestors originally used these cows for milk and
meat, and helped develop diet and cultivating traditions of the Islands of
Britain and Ireland. These cattle have been greatly appreciated, and are
actually the oldest recorded and registered cattle in the world, as the
Highland Cattle Registry is the oldest herd book in the world, going back to
1885. Another neat fact is that Queen Elizabeth, in 1954, ordered Highland
Cattle to be bred at Balmoral Castle, where you can find them to this day.